Delhi gangrape: Sixth accused sent to police custody for a day

One of the six persons, allegedly involved in the gangrape of a 23-year-old paramedical student in a moving bus in New Delhi on December 16, was on Wednesday remanded in police custody for a day by a Delhi court for recovering the clothes worn by various accused on fateful night.

Akshay Singh alias Thakur, who was the last one to be arrested in the case, was produced before additional chief metropolitan magistrate Lokesh Kumar Sharma after he underwent test identification parade (TIP) at Tihar Jail on Wednesday.

Akshay was arrested on December 21 and underwent TIP on December 26 during which the victim's male friend, a 28-year-old software engineer, had identified him as one of the persons involved in the incident.

Delhi police sought two days' remand of the accused for recovering remaining case property and clothes which Akshay and other accused were wearing while allegedly committing the crime.

Seeking his remand, the police also said he has to be taken to Noida in Uttar Pradesh for recovery of the articles.

The court, however, remanded him in police custody for a day saying, "Noida is in Delhi National Capital Region and the place of the incident is also within two-three kms from here (Saket court). I don't think you (police) need 48 hours for it.

"In case you require further custody, you can seek extension later on."

The police, meanwhile, informed the court it has also booked Akshay in another related case of robbing a carpenter, Ramadhar Singh, of his valuables prior to picking up the victim and her male friend.

Ramadhar had been thrown out of the bus after he was robbed, the police said.

Akshay has refused to undergo TIP in the robbery case, but has confessed before the court that he had robbed Ramadhar.

All the five accused are facing charges under sections 307 (attempt to murder), 365 (kidnapping or abducting), 376 (2)(g) (gang rape), 377 (unnatural offences), 394 (hurting in committing robbery) and 34 (common intention) of the IPC.

The proceedings relating to the sixth accused are being undertaken separately before the Juvenile Justice Board as he is a minor.

Both the victims, the girl and her male friend, who had boarded the chartered bus with tinted glass windows from Munirka in New Delhi to Palam around 9.45pm on December 16, were assaulted with an iron rod by the men after the two resisted before they were dumped on the road side near Mahipalpur flyover, police had said.